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Neighbors Chip In
To Aid Storm Victims
I am a transplant to Birmingham from
New York City and New Jersey. Since
building my life here, the giving spirit
of our neighbors has really impressed
and inspired me to pitch in where I can.
Sadly, I watched all of the news
coverage on Hurricane Sandy and my
beloved Jersey Shore be demolished in
one night. After the initial shock wore
off, I put a plea on Facebook for some
much-needed supplies. I was over-
whelmed; people were at my doorstep
with cars full of coats, hats, mittens,
scarves, etc., some brand-new! I was
thrilled but a bit nervous about how I
was going to get these things to New
Jersey.
I planned to call a few shipping
services to find the best price and
see if these companies might absorb
some of the cost. My first call was to
Jennifer Midkiff, the owner of the UPS
location at 330 E. Maple in downtown
Birmingham. She did not hesitate and
told me to meet her the next day.
I delivered the huge plastic bags to
her store prepared to spend at least
$400. Well, I nearly collapsed when she
said, 'No thanks, this one's on me!" She
went on to say that she watched the
coverage on the news and wanted to
help but wasn't sure how.
She has no idea how grateful I am
and how much of a difference she
has made in lives of complete strang-
ers! Thank you, Jenny. You are a real
humanitarian!
Loren Weiner
Birmingham
Christians, Jews Unite
To 'Thank God For Israel'
Two-hundred-fifty enthusiastic pro-
Israel supporters enjoyed the annual
"Thank God for Israel Day", spon-
sored by the Friends of Israel Gospel
Ministry at the Sheraton Hotel in
Novi on Nov. 4. The purpose of this
annual event is to bring the Christian
and Jewish communities together in
their steadfast support for the State
of Israel.
The keynote speaker, Michele
Segelnick, executive director of
American Friends of Rambam
Hospital, shared with us how the
exciting staff of the Haifa hospital
is developing and using the most
advanced scientific resources with
the collaboration of scientists at the
Technion Engineering and Biomedical
Engineering Faculties, as well as the
Rappaport School of Medicine and
Research Institute.
She introduced us to Haim Elfasy,
an IDF soldier who won a Friends of
the IDF competition, was sponsored
by the FIDF through college in Israel
and is now a successful architect
who is sponsoring other IDF soldiers
through college.
We met Asael Lubotzky, who nearly
lost a leg in the August 2006 war, but
through the efforts of the Rambam
staff, the leg was saved — and he
was able to use that leg to break the
glass at his wedding. He is now in the
Rambam Medical School preparing to
become a physician.
We came away from this experience
encouraged by our Christian friends
who expressed their wholehearted
commitment to the survival of Israel
and its people.
Our thanks to Rev. Tim Munger,
the Friends of Israel Great Lakes
executive director, for his tireless
efforts with this yearly program and
his other efforts for Israel in Detroit
and across the nation.
Those who shared their organiza-
tions' information with the partici-
pants were Barbara Moretsky, Margot
Gardner and Susan Craft represent-
ing StandWithUs/Michigan; Eugene
Greenstein representing Zionist
Organization of America/Michigan;
and Paul Matlin and Ed Kohl of
Volunteers for Israel/Great Lakes
Region.
Other local Jewish Israel advocates
who attended the event were Sheryl
Siegel, Rae Sharfman, Sylvia and
Irving Ginsberg and Ruth Vosko.
Ed Kohl
West Bloomfield
(L to R) Alexa Morris, Elody
op Baumgartner and Shawn Levine
o
t
M arc
On October 28th,
25 members of
the Vortex Martial
Arts School in West
Correction
• "Honoring Veterans" (Nov. 8, page 12)
should have stated that David George is
a member of the Charles Shapiro-Gen.
Maurice Rose Post #510 of the Jewish
War Veterans.
Bloomfield came
together to rake
III
leaves at two JARC
homes. Working
in teams, the
groups got plenty
of exercise and
helped to beautify
Beth Ahm Bet Midrash
Explores Jewish Identity
Rabbi Steven
Rubenstein of
Congregation Beth
Ahm in West
Bloomfield will lead
the Bet Midrash
from 10:30-11:15
a.m. Saturday, Nov.
A
Rabbi Steven
17, as part of 9 a.m.
Rubenstein
Shabbat morning
services.
The Bet Midrash
(study hall) will use
selections from the
book I Am Jewish:
Personal Reflections
Inspired by the Last
4b\
Words of Daniel
Daniel Pearl
Pearl "to explore the
variety of modern
Jewish experience as well as our own
attitudes and connections to our
Jewishness," said Rubenstein.
Pearl, a Wall Street Journal reporter,
was murdered by an Al Qaida terror-
ist cell in Pakistan 10 years ago this
month, following his abduction while
pursuing a lead on those responsible
for the 9-11 attacks.
For information about the Bet
Midrash or other lifelong Jewish
learning opportunities at Beth Ahm,
contact Rubenstein at (248) 851-6880
or raysteven@cbahm.org .
Lunchtime Class Looks At
Cartoonist Maurice Sendak
Adat Shalom Synagogue in
Farmington Hills will offer a free
three-part series led by Rabbi Aaron
Bergman on "Where the Wild Things
Went: Maurice Sendak and Moral
Development:' Programs are set for
Mondays, Nov. 26, and Dec. 3 and 10
from 11:45 a.m.-1
p.m.
"Maurice Sendak
was not just a
wonderful author
and illustrator of
children's books,"
says Bergman. "He
Rabbi Aaron
had a profound
Bergman
understanding of
good and evil, and
how people make
decisions to survive in the world. We
will look at his most famous works,
but also lesser known ones, particu-
larly in regard to his books on the
Holocaust:'
Participants are invited to bring
their own dairy lunches. Drinks
and dessert will be provided. RSVP
by the preceding Fridays to Sheila
Lederman, (248) 851-5100, ext. 246,
or slederman@adatshalom.org .
the yards by filling
90 bags of fallen
leaves!
Make your gift at
jarc.org or
248.538.6611
November 15 • 2012
5